Jasper John Dooley, Lost and Found

Title: Jasper John Dooley, Lost and Found

Author: Caroline Adderson

Illustrator: Mike Shiell

Publisher: Kids Can Press

Year: 2015

Summary: Jasper John Dooley and his best friend, Ori decided to play a new game at recess. They dug for treasures in the sandbox. That day Jasper’s Nan showed him a treasure box she found. It was full of his dad’s and uncle’s toys that they had when they were young. Nan has saved them and now Jasper could pick any toy he wanted from the box. He picked his dad’s favorite plastic mouse, Marcel Mouse. He tied him to a long string and wore it around his neck. He wore it everyday, but one day Marcel accidentally got flushed down the toilet. Mom and Dad took Jasper to the library to find out where the toilet water goes and learned that Marcel probably went to the water treatment plant to get clean and then out to the ocean. They found the ocean currents and saw that Marcel would go to Alaska first, then Japan, then Australia where Uncle Tom lives. Jasper John hoped that Marcel would find Uncle Tom and come home with him for Nan’s birthday party. Uncle Tom came, but he didn’t have Marcel with him. Jasper was disappointed until Uncle Tom took him to a yard sale in the neighborhood and they found another Marcel Mouse toy that Jasper wore on a string around his neck.

Literary Merit: Characters with personality! And a little science lesson on toilets, water treatment plants, and ocean currents.

Kid Appeal: The Marcel Mouse tune is catchy and I can see kids singing it long after the story is finished. Real life school, playground, and family situations will hold kids’ interest as they read too.

Disclaimer: This book was nominated for the 2015 CYBILS Award in the Early Chapter Book category. This review is shared as part of the Round One Judging. It is solely my own opinion and not influenced by any other parties.